One of the most audacious Hollywood films of the late 1970s was All That Jazz, Bob Fosse’s semi-autobiographical tale of a self-destructive director/choreographer trying to outrun his demons and his mortality as he struggles to keep his topsy-turvy life together. It combined musical theater and Fellini-esque flights of fancy to hypnotic effect, employing a wide range of musical styles and compositions in the process. A choice selection of the music used in the film is distilled on the All That Jazz soundtrack, which divides its time between jazzy pop classics («Everything Old Is New Again» by Peter Allen, George Benson’s cover of «On Broadway») and a combination of originals and re-arranged classics handled by composer/arranger Ralph Burns. The jazzy pop songs make for fun listening, but the true highlights are the tracks handled by Burns: his work on the album covers everything from classical music («Vivaldi Concert In G») to easy listening («Ponte Vecchio») to showtune-styled originals («Take Off With Us»). However, Burn’s true tour de force is a bombastic re-imagining of the Everly Brothers classic «Bye Bye Love»: in his hands, it becomes an epic, rock opera-styled duet between Ben Vereen and Roy Scheider, whose kitchen-sink arrangement includes jazz saxophone, orchestral strings, and wailing electric guitar. Simply put, it must be heard to be believed. The only problem with All That Jazz is that its eclecticism and one-of-a-kind style of showbiz bombast ensure that it will only appeal to fans of the film. Also, the soundtrack lacks a few of the songs featured in the film: the most notable exception is Harry Nilsson’s «Perfect Day,» a lushly-orchestrated pop classic that was memorably used during one of the film’s romantic scenes. Despite these minor problems, All That Jazz remains a fine musical portrait of its parent film and a necessity for anyone who enjoyed it. ~ Donald A. Guarisco1995 reissue of the soundtrack to director Bob Fosse’sacclaimed 1979 musical co-starring Roy Scheider and JessicaLange. Ralph Burns arranged & conducted all 14 tracks, whichinclude performances by George Benson, Sandahl Bergman andBen Vereen with Scheider. A Spectrum/ Karussell release.Recording information: 1979.Arranger: Ralph Burns.cdUniverse